Combined cotton cleaning and drying machine



COMBINED COTTON CLEANING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1934 INVENTOR; JOHN E. MITCHELL flrroRNEY Patented Dec. 24, 1935 v 2,025,700

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE COMBINED COTTON CLEANING AND DRYING MACHINE John E. Mitchell, Dallas, Tex.

Application May 21, 1934, Serial No. 726,741 13 Claims. (Cl. 19-93) This invention has for its general object to pro- The invention is illustrated in the accompanyvide a novel combination cotton drying and cleaning drawing in which the view is a vertical section ing machine which will permit of the continuous embodying a preferred construction and arrangepassage of the cotton from a source of supply ment of parts. through cleaning machinery to a distributor, and Referring now to the drawing, the numeral I during its passage through the cleaning machinindicates the casing of my imp ove Cleaning ery enable a continuous stream of heated air to chine, said casing being elongated, that is, of

- be passed through the casing of the cleaning extended length as respects its height and width,

machinery, preferably by a single suction fan, to and being positioned at a considerable incline to dry the cotton. the horizontal. Mounted in suitable bearings in 0 In the accomplishment of this general object the side walls, 2,'of this casing are a series of I provide a combination cotton drying and cleanbeating cylinders, that is to say, cylinders proing machine which involves the use of a plurality vided with a number of blades, 3, around their of beating cylinders operating within an enclosed peripheries, sa d cy nd being numbered in chamber and provided with two sealing members, der, b g ni at the upp d Of e c 15 one for sealing the inlet for the cotton as it is f om 4 t inclusive. While I have Shown Six .unloaded from wagons, or other source of supply, of these beatin yl s, greater 1855 1111mand the other sealing the outlet for the cotton ber may be employed, as may be found desirable. and discharging the same to adistributor,asingle They may be made any length over which it is,

:0 fan being used for either drawing or forcing heatfound practicable to spread the cotton. Sured air into the drying and cleaning chamber and rounding the underside of each of these beating withdrawing the moist air and trash from the cylinders is a curved screen, I0, these screens chamber. The sealing members are preferably in being connected to form a continuous screening the form of conventional air seal droppers. surface extending from end to end of the ma- To facilitate the rapid drying of the cotton in chine. The upper end of casing I is provided its passage through the casing of the cleaning with a horizontal portion, II, in which is formed mechanism, I employ a series of baiiles projectan opening, I2, constituting an inlet for the coting, respectively, into the spaces between adjaton to be. cleaned and dried. Mounted on the cent beating cylinders, which operate not only to horizontal portion II is a conventional air seal P0 intermittently arrest the progress of the cotton dropper, I3, which, as is well known, operates to through the cleaning machinery, and thereby drop cotton into the machine while at the same facilitate the drying operation, but themselves time sealing the inlet against the passage of air. being heated by the current of hot air continu- The air seal dropper, in operation is supplied ously passing through the casing enclosing the with the cotton to be cleaned and dried from a cleaning machinery, constitute additional means suction pipe, I4, which draws the cotton from the 35 for heating the cotton and driving off moisture wagons, or other source of supply. The upper therefrom. end of the lower wall of the casing I is provided A feature ofthe invention consists of the prowith an opening, I5, constituting an outlet for the vision of an elongated, inclined casing housing a cleaned and dried cotton, and this outlet com- 40 series of beating cylinders, having cooperating municates with an upwardly extending portion, 40 screens, said casing being provided with an inlet I6, of the casing of an air seal dropper, II, which for the cotton to be cleaned and dried and an is mounted on one end of a distributor, I8, and outlet for the cleaned and dried cotton, at its into which it discharges the cleaned and dried upper end, and sealed by means of air seal dropcotton without breaking the seal of the outlet I5.

pers, an inlet for heated air intermediate these Between the inlet I2 and outlet [5 I provide in a 45 droppers, and an outlet for moist air at the lower vertical portion of the casing I a third opening, end of the casing, so that a single fan may be I9, which constitutes an,inlet for heated air. employed for drawing or forcing the heated air Heated air is supplied by drawing air through a through the casing and out of its lower end, caussteam heated radiator, 20, the casing, 2 I, of which ing'it'to be brought into intimate contact with is extended to communicate with the hot air 50 the cotton and cleaning machinery in its passage inlet I9. I have shown in outline a well known through the casing and insuring the current of form of heater of high heating capacity; but any heated air 'moving in a uniform body, i. e., withother desired means of heating the air could be out stratification, from the upper to the lower employed.

' portion of the machine. To facilitate the heating and drying of the cotton in its passage through the cleaning machine, I mount on the under side of the upper wall of casing I, to extend from side to side of said casing, a series of baffles, 22, which consists of metal plates extending at right angles to each other, one series of apices projecting into the spaces between the respective beating cylinders, and the other series extending to the upper insulated wall, 23,

of the casing, thereby providing a series of triangular dead air chambers, 24, which arrangement serves to adequately prevent interchange of heat from the casing with the outer air through the upper wall of the casing.

Hot air from the heater 20 is drawn into and through the casing I, and moist air leaving the cotton withdrawn from said casing, by means of a single suction fan, 25, having itssuction side communicating with the interior of casing l at its lower end by means of a pipe, 26. The use of a single suction fan is rendered possible by my novel arrangement of air seal droppers at the cotton inlet and outlet located at the upper end of the machine and by providing for the entrance of heated air between these sealed openings. Thus the casing being sealed against the advent of outer air, suction of suflicient degree to draw the hot air into, through, and out of the cleaning machine at the proper rates can be readily induced in the casing with the minimum expenditure of power.

I wish it understood, however, that the hot air could be blown through the casing l instead of being drawn through by suction, or that, instead of a single suction fan, two fans could be employed one for blowing the hot air into the casing and the other for withdrawing the moist air from the lower end of the casing. Such alternative arrangements are not illustrated as the same are within the knowledge and skill of operators in this art, and the invention is not otherwise concerned therewith; the essential fact being that hot air is, in operation, continuously caused to pass through the casing from the upper to the lower end thereof, and moisture-ladened air to pass out of the latter, without regard to the manner of accomplishing such passage of the hot air, so far as the broad idea of the invention is concerned. However, I regard it as a feature of novelty to employ a single suction or blowing fan in the novel combination of parts featured in my invention.

, In the machine of my prior Patent No. 1,942,868, I show a sealing member, 26, for receiving the cottonas it is unloaded from the wagons, but it discharged the cotton direct into a distributor which, in that case, was utilized for exposing the cotton to the heated air. I also show an additional sealing member, ll, through which the cotton was discharged from the cleaning cylinders into the gin stands; but-this was not claimed in connection with the other sealing member as part of the invention. Insofar, therefore, as the use of two sealing members, or air seal droppers, governir ig the inlet to and outlet from a cleaning macli ne is coning green cotton as it isunloaded from the wagons, where the cotton does not contain too much excess moisture, but does contain an excess amount of trash and other extraneous matter.

The essential factors in successfully condition- 5 v ing green or damp cotton for ginning purposes are, first, flufling the locks of cotton to insure intimate contact of the cotton fibers with the heated air; second, providing suflicient volume of air for the amount of cotton being treated and raising the temperature of the air to a point where it will rapidly absorb moisture given up by the cotton fibers; third, having a rapid relative motion between the cotton and the heated air; and,. fourth, while the cotton is in rapid motion keeping it exposed to the heated air long enough for it to give up sufiicient moisture to bring about a good ginning condition of the cotton. In a machine or method which meets all of the other requirements, the last mentioned factor, or that of time of exposure, can be very short in duration.

My improved machine meets all the requirements for successfully conditioning green or damp cotton for ginning purposes, as will clearly appear from the following description of the operation.

The cotton, as itis unloaded or elevated from the wagons, falls from the usual separator into the air seal dropper l3, which delivers it to the upper one of the series of beating cylinders 4-9. These cylinders, which rotate rapidly in the direction shown by the arrows, and which are adapted to transfer the cotton from one to the other in both the downward and upward direction, deliver the spread out stream of cotton from the upper portion of one cylinder to the upper portion of the next succeeding cylinder, the stream of cotton being interrupted between each pair of cylinders by the baflles 22. When the cotton reaches the last beating cylinder 9, it is then engaged by the lower portion of each cylinder in succession and forced over the screen surfaces I0 back to the outlet l5 beneath the first cylinder where, by means of the latter, it is discharged into the second rotating sealing member, or air seal dropper l1, and then into the distributor l8.

An induced current of heated air for delivering the cotton is drawn, or forced, into the hot air inlet I9 at the top of the machine between theinlet and outlet sealing members, the air being heated by passing through the radiator 20. The heated air fills all of the interior portions of the machine and heats the drum of the beating cylinders as well as the metal bafiles 22, the latter being insulated against the outside loss of heat by the insulated wall 23. The current of hot air finds its way out of the machine through the screens beneath the cylinders and is withdrawn with thetrash from the machine, in the preferred form of the invention, by the exhaust fan 25, which discharges the moist air and trash out of doors.

While the beating cylinders 4-9 can be mount- ,ed in the same relation to each other in a horizontal plane, it is preferable to mount them on an inclined plane, as shown, not only because this arrangement permits the use of the hot metal baflle plates 22, which serve to pre-heat the cotton in its downward passage throughthe machine, but the drying or conditioning efliciency of the machine is also impro ed, because, with a horizontal arrangement of cy linders, the air tends to stratify as it changes in /temperature; that is, the hottest portion of the air tends to flow through the machine at the highest point; whereas, with the inclined arrangement of cylinders, stratification is avoided, and the heated current of air moves in a uniform body from the upper to the lower portion of the machine, but, of course, gradually becomes lower in temperature, in a uniformly moving current, as the heat is absorbed by the cotton.

It will be obvious that if the hot air be blown through the machine from the upper to the lower end, the pipe 26, shown connected to the suction side of fan 25, would simply lead to the outer air.

I claim:

1. Combined cotton cleaning and drying mechanism comprising a casing enclosing the cotton cleaning mechanism and having a cotton inlet and a cotton outlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet, a source of heated air exterior of said casing, and means for causing a continuous passage of the heated air through and out of said casing.

2. Combined cotton cleaning and drying mechanism comprising a casing enclosing the cotton cleaning mechanism and having a cotton inlet, a cotton outlet and a hot -air inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said cotton inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet, a source of heated air exterior of said casing, communicating with said hot air inlet, and suction means communicating with said casing at a point remote from said hot air inlet for drawing the heated air into, through and out of said casing.

3. Combined cotton cleaning and drying mechanism comprising a casing enclosing the cotton cleaning mechanism and having a cotton inlet and a cotton outlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet, a source of heated air communicating with said casing between said droppers, and suction means communicating with said casing at a point remote from the point of entrance of the heated air for drawing the latter into, through and out of said casing.

4. Apparatus for simultaneously cleaning and drying cotton comprising an elongated casing having at one end an inlet for cotton to be cleaned, an outlet for cleaned cotton, and an intermediate inlet for heated air, a source of heated air communicating 'with said intermediate inlet, a series of rotatable cleaning cylinders, having'cooperating screens, mounted in transfer relation in said casing from end to end thereof, an air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet, and means for causing a continuous passage of heated air into said intermediate inlet, through said casing, and out of the latter at the other end thereof.

5. Apparatus for simultaneously cleaning and drying cotton comprising an elongated, inclined casing having a cotton inlet, a cotton outlet and an intermediate inlet for heated air at its upper end, and an outlet for moist air at its lower end, a series of aligning cotton cleaning cylinders extending from said inlet to said outlet and, having cooperating screens, mounted in transfer relation in said casing to extend from end to end thereof,

said inlet to the remote end of said casing in one direction, and then, in the opposite direction, over the series of screens to said outlet, a source of heated air communicating with said intermediate inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet, and means. for causing the continuous passage of the heated air into said intermediate inlet, through said casing and out through the outlet for moist air in the lower end thereof.

--6. Apparatus for simultaneously cleaning and drying cotton comprising an inclined, elongated casing having a cotton inlet, a cotton outlet and an intermediate inlet for heated air at its upper end, and an outlet for moist air at its lower end, a source of heated air communicating with said intermediate inlet, a series of cotton cleaning cylinders, having cooperating screens on their under sides, mounted in transfer relation in said casing to extend in alignment from end to end thereof, a series of triangular, hollow, bafiles extending along the upper side of said casing and projecting, respectively, into the spaces between adjacent cylinders, each of said baflles inclosing with the upper wall of said casing a dead air space, an air seal dropper for continuously delivering cotton to be cleaned through said inlet, whereby the cotton will be passed by said cylinders from the upper to the lower end of said casing and caused to successively engage said bafllesfand then from said lower end over the successive screens to said outlet, means for inducing a continuous passage of the heated air into said intermediate inlet and through said casing in contact with said cylinders and bafiies to heat the same and to remove moisture from the cotton, means for withdrawing moisture laden air and refuse from the lower end of said casing, and an air seal dropper for delivering the dried and cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet.

7. Apparatus for simultaneously cleaning and drying cotton comprising an inclined, elongated casing having a cotton inlet, a cotton outlet and an intermediate inlet for heated air at its upper end, a series of bladed cylinders, having cooperating screens, mounted in transfer relationto extend in alignment from end to end of said casing, the uppermost cylinder cooperating with both said cotton inlet and cotton outlet in a manner to remove cotton from said inlet and discharge cotton through said outlet, air air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said inlet, a series of metal bafiles projecting into the spaces between said cylinders from the upper side of said casing, and serving to interrupt the passage of cotton between each pair of cylinders, a source of heated air, means for inducing the passage of the heated air into said intermediate inlet, through said casing in contact with said battles and cylinders to heat the same while removing moisture from the cotton, and the passage of moisture laden air and refuse from said casing at the lower end thereof, and an air seal dropper for delivering the dried and cleaned cotton discharged. through said outlet, the

combinations of parts causing a downward passage of the cotton from said inlet into successive contact with the heated baflles, an upward passage thereof over said screens, and its discharge through said outlet by the uppermost cylinder.

8. Apparatus for simultaneously cleaning and drying cotton in a continuous operation during its passage from a source of supply to cotton extracting machinery comprising, in combination with a distributor for delivering the cotton to such machinery, an elongated, inclined casing having a cotton inlet, a cotton outlet and an intermediate inlet for heated air at its upper end, and an outlet for moist air at its lower end, a series of cotton cleaning cylinders, having cooperating screens, mounted in tra sfer relation in said casing to extend in alignmen from end to end thereof, and adapted, in operation, to transfer cotton from said inlet to the remote end of said casing in one direction and then, in the opposite direction, over the series of screens to said outlet, 9. source of heated air communicating with said intermediate inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet to said distributor, and means for causing-the continuous passage of the heated air into said inlet, through said casing and out through the outlet in the lower end thereof. a

9. Combined cotton cleaning and drying mechanism comprising a casing and means for causing a current of heated air to be continuously passed through the same from one end to the other thereof, a plurality of beating cylinders, having screens cooperating with their under sides, mounted in transfer relation in said casing, an inlet for cotton, a sealing member controlling the same and adapted to deliver cotton to be cleaned at one end of said series of beating cylinders, a series of bafiles, adapted to be heated by said current of air, cooperating with the upper sides of said heating cylinders, and serving to interrupt the normal movement of cotton eifected by said beating cylinders, whereby the cotton will be flufied by. said cylinders and preheated by said bafiles in its movement over the upper portion of said cylinders and the lower portion of the cylinders will act to force the partially dried cotton oversaid screens, an outlet for the dried cotton beyond said screens, a sealing member for delivering the dried cotton from the machine, and means for delivering moist air from said casing at a point remote from said inlet.

1.0. Apparatus for cleaning and simultaneously drying cotton comprising an inclined casing having a cottoninlet, a cotton outlet and an intermediate inlet for heated air at its upper end, a sealing member controlling said inlet for delivering cotton to be cleaned to the machine, a sealing member controlling said outlet for delivering cotton from the machine, means for causing a current of heated air to pass into said intermediate inlet and through said casing, a series of bladed beating cylinders, having cooperating screens, arranged in transfer relation in said casing to extend in alignment from the upper to the lower end thereof, and adapted to cause cotton delivered through said inlet to be moved first in a downward direction over the upper portions of the cylinders and then in an upward direction over said screens to the outlet, means for preheating the cotton in its downward passage over the cylinders, and means for withdrawing moist air from the lower end of said casing.

11. Combined cotton cleaning and drying mechanism comprising a casing enclosing the cotton cleaning mechanism and having-a cotton inlet and a cotton outlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet, a source of heated air exterior of said casing and communicating therewith at one extremity of the casing, and means communicating with said casing at a remote extremity thereof for causing a continuous passage of heated air through and out of said casing.

12. Combined cotton cleaning'and drying mechanism comprising an elongated casing enclosing the cotton cleaning mechanism and having a cotton inlet and a cotton outlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet, a source of heated air exterior of said casing and communicating therewith at one end of the casing, and means communicating with the opposite end of said casing for causing a continuous passage of the heated air through and out of said casing.

13. Combined cotton cleaning and drying mechanism comprising an elongated casing enclosing the cotton cleaning mechanism and having a cotton inlet, a cotton outlet and an intermediate hot air inlet at one end, an air seal dropper for delivering cotton to be cleaned through said cotton inlet, an air seal dropper for delivering cleaned cotton discharged through said outlet, a source of heated air exterior of said casing communicating with said hot air inlet, and suction means communicating with said casing at the end thereof remote from said hot air inlet for drawing the heated air into, through and out of said casing.

JOHN E. MITCHELL. 

